Lead Organizer

Who We Are

Damayan is a grassroots organization that serves and empowers low-wage Filipino migrant workers living and working in New York City and New Jersey, especially domestic workers and labor trafficking survivors. We were established in 2002 by a group of Filipina domestic workers experiencing employer abuses, like illegally refusing to pay minimum wage, termination without cause or notice, and working overtime without compensation.

About the Role

Damayan is hiring for a Lead Organizer, a key member of the team. The Lead Organizer oversees all areas of base building, leadership development, political education, campaigns, and advocacy. Reporting to the Executive Director, the Lead Organizer will supervise the Senior Organizer, and work alongside our services and training team as well as operations, communications, and development.

Areas of Work

Political Education

• Coordinate with the Executive Director to implement the political education curriculum
• Organize workshops and political education events
• Conduct Workers Academy and team meetings

Campaigns

• Organize campaigns around issues that affect Damayan Filipino migrant worker members, such as stolen wage cases 
• Organize the planning and execution of campaigns that engage members, worker leaders, and allies that align with our goal of raising the standard of the labor industry
• Sustain and strengthen Damayan's anti-trafficking campaign, Baklas: Break Free from Labor Trafficking and Modern Day Slavery

Alliance and Coalition Building

• Maintain and build relationships with organizational partners and government agencies

Supervision

• Supervise and support the Senior Organizer with outreach, base building, and leadership development tasks 

Coordination with Other Damayan Team Members 

• Coordinate with the Services and Trainings staff to do in-person and online outreach and recruitment to community members needing Damayan’s services and trainings (mass text, social media, flyering and postering, one-on-one phone calls, etc)
• Coordinate with the Communications staff about the communications needs of the Organizing and Campaigns Team (graphics, flyers, posters, brochures, social media posts, etc) 
• Coordinate with the Development staff to ensure implementation, tracking, reporting, and prospecting grants that fund Damayan’s organizing and campaigns

Organizational Leadership

• Work with the staff to do annual, quarterly and monthly planning, and assessments
• Delegate responsibilities and supervise the senior and other team members of the Organizing and Campaigns Team, and hold check-in and feedback meetings
• Model Damayan’s core values and principles

Who You Are and Keys to Success

• Trustworthy: As this role is about relationships, you take those relationships and the community’s trust very seriously. You are honest and reliable. 
• Results-Oriented and Organized: Not easily fazed with multiple projects or tasks, your usual strategy is to establish a plan and timeline right away. You are all about meeting challenges with possible solutions, all towards Damayan’s goals.
• Collaborative: You believe in the power of collective work and leadership, and are not afraid to explore other solutions to improve workflow. You appreciate both receiving and giving feedback, and believe in open and professional communication. 
• Committed to Racial Equity and Social Justice: You recognize the racial disparities in policies, income, and opportunities, and you want to fight and help empower the community for equality and equity. 
• Political Alignment: You have an understanding, appreciation, and commitment to learning more about Damayan’s vision, mission, strategies, programs, and organizational values. 

Qualifications

• Minimum of 2-5 years of related experience
• Grounding in culturally relevant and empowerment-based organizing
• Fluency in Tagalog and English (required)
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment
• Skilled in Microsoft Office, Google Suite, Signal, and Zoom 
• Accountable, communicative, and self-driven
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Ability and willingness to access third floor walk up office
• Experience in political education, campaigns, and advocacy
• Strong project management skills to manage several programs at once

Other Employment Information

• Full-time, 40 hours a week position, Tuesday through Saturday, 11am to 7pm
• In-person employment at our office at 406 West 40th Street, Third Floor (walk-up), New York, NY
• Salary range: $58,000-$63,000, commensurate to experience
• Generous benefits including health insurance and Paid Time Off (PTO) for vacation, holidays, sick, and personal days

Information About Applying

Please submit a cover letter and resume to hiring@damayanmigrants.org with the subject line “Lead Organizer Position” and indicate where you saw the position. The position is open until filled, with preference given to applicants who submit their materials by August 23, 2024.

Damayan is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and is committed to building a diverse and passionate team. Immigrants, people of color, people with disabilities, and trans and/or gender non-conforming applicants are strongly encouraged to apply. Damayan does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender expression, medical condition, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law.

We recognize that people from marginalized groups may be less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every one of the qualifications as described in a job description. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job. We would encourage you to apply, even if you don’t believe you meet every one of the qualifications described.